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UNrrEiox STATES ATENT OFFICE.

VALTER B. ELMENHORST, OF MONTREAL, CANADA.

KILN FOR DRYING AND REVIVIFYING BONE-BLACK.

dated December 28, 1880.

Application filed october 25, leso. (No meer) To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER It. ELMEN- HORST, of Montreal, Canada, have invented certain Improvements in Kilns for Drying and RevivifyingBone-Black. of which thefollowin g is a specification.

Bone-black is usually dried in vertical retorts, which are of small cross-area in proportion to their lengths, and which are erected in a furnace or heating-chamber, through the top of which the upper ends of the retorts project. The bone-black contained in the lower portion of the retort is subjected to the greatest heat, and the steam arising therefrom has to make its way upward through a superincumbent mass of bone-black which is cooler than itself. It results that the operation of drying is prolonged by the partial condensation of the steam in its passage through the boneblack contained in the upper part of the retort.

It is the object of my improvement to facilitate the escape of steam from the bone-black contained in the retort; and myinvention consists in combining with each retort one or more vertical sliding pricker-rods held in longitudinal alignment withtheretort bysuitable guides,

and in forming, by means of these rods, in the mass of bone-black contained in the retort 011e or more vertical vent-holes of any desired depth, which will serve as free outlets for the steam generated from the moisture of the bone-black contained in the retort.

In the accompanying drawings, representing a bone-black kiln provided with my iinprovements, Figure l is a vertical section of a portion ofthe kiln, showing one of the heatingchambers containing two rows ofrvcrtical retorts on either side of the furnace, and showing the systems of priclrer-rods in front elevation, the retorts being shown in central vertical section on a line taken through their longer diameters. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the upper portion `of one row of retorts on a line taken through their shorter diameters, showing the pricker-rods in side elevation.

The drawings represent afurn ace or heatingchamber, A, containing a number of vertical retorts, B. The bone-black C is represented as lling the retort B and as covering the floor I) of the bone-black room, in which the open upper ends of the retorts B terminate. A

suitable frame-work, E, is erected above the floor D, for supporting and guiding a vertically-sliding carriage, F, to which the upper ends of the pricker-rods G are affixed.

If very long retorts are used, it may be desirable to affix to the frame the guide-bar e, provided with the vertical perforations e', to receive the pricker-rods and insure their alignment, so that their pointed lower ends, f, will be guided downward into the retorts.

A suitably long hoisting-rope, F', fastened by one end to the center of the carriage F, is carried over the pulley F2, mounted in fixed bearings, either upon the upper part of the frame E or in a hanger depending from the ceiling of the bone-black room. The other end of the hoisting-rope may be provided with a weight, F3, of suiiicient magnitude to partially counterbalance the carriage F and the pricker rods Vdependent therefrom, so that while gravity will operate to cause the prickerrods to fall and penetrate the mass of boneblack in the retorts, the counterbalancingweight will lessen the labor of hoisting the carriage F and withdrawing the pricker-rods.

It will, of course, be understood that the pricker-rods may beinserted into or withdraw n from the masses of bone-black contained in the retorts by positive motion, if desired; but I have found no difficulty in depending on gravity for effecting the insertion of the prickerrods, and therefore prefer the inode of construction which I have described.

In operation, when the retorts have been illedthe pricker-rods are allowed to fall or are pressed downward into the masses of boneblack contained in the retorts, and are then withdrawn, thus forming in the bone-black the long vent-holes H, which may, of course, be madeto any desired depth, and which afford free outlets for the steam generated in the lower portions of the retorts.

Owing to the stickiness of the moist boneblack the vent-holes usually preserve their shape until the drying operation is completed.

I claim as my inventionl. In a kiln for revivifying bone-black, thel combination of the retorts witliaseries of movable priclrer-rods preserved in longitudinal alignment with the retorts by suitable guides, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

IOO

spect to the retorts B, 1o scribed.

substantially as de- 4. The method of facilitating the drying of' bone-black herein described, which consists in forming` the deep ven t-holes Hin the masses of bone-black contained in the retorts, substzmtiull y as and for the purpose set forth.

W. R. ELMENHORST.

Witnesses M. L. ADAMS, EDWD. PAYsoN. 

